Trade Lanes Getting Busier

July 27, 2005|By PETER DUJARDIN Daily Press

NORFOLK — Cargo traffic between Hampton Roads and Northern Europe jumps by nearly 10 percent, with notable trade also with Asia and India.

The Port of Hampton Roads container shipments grew by 10.9 percent in the last fiscal year -- with cargo traffic to Northern Europe, once Hampton Roads' biggest trade lane, seeing a large increase. Tom Capozzi, the Virginia Port Authority's marketing chief, said trade to Northern Europe grew by 9.7 percent, with rail cargo congestion in New York and Canada helping to divert train cargo to Hampton Roads.

Trade to Northeast Asia, the biggest trade lane, jumped by 8.9 percent. Trade to India, still relatively small compared to Asia and Europe, leaped by 28 percent, while trade to South America, slightly smaller than the Indian trade, grew by 19 percent.

China Shipping will soon launch a new "around the world" service going through the Suez Canal, Capozzi announced. After starting in Asia, the ship will makes stops including the Port of New York, Norfolk, and Savannah, Ga., before going back to Asia through the Panama Canal.

It's a long route, with a time frame of 38 days, Capozzi said.

The new ship from China, servicing the massive influx of distribution centers in Hampton Roads, will carry 4,250 20-foot equivalent container units.

Capozzi said he expects shipping lines to run ships twice that size between Asia and the East Coast. Though Hampton Roads' harbor depth and cranes are ready for the bigger ships now, the shipping lines might be waiting for another East Coast port -- particularly New York -- to be ready for the big ships before coming to Hampton Roads. *